Investment banking scorecard - Thomson Reuters

A trio of multi-billion dollar US-domestic mergers, led by Berkshire Hathaway’s $35.8 billion purchase of Precision Castparts, pushed the level of worldwide M&A activity to $2.9 trillion, a 40% increase compared to year-to-date 2014 and just 3% below the all-time year-to-date record set in 2007 ($3.0 trillion). US target activity accounts for 49% of the dollar volume of worldwide tie-ups, the strongest percentage since 2000. Asia Pacific M&A, which is off to the best start since record began, accounts for 23% of overall global deal making, outpacing the percentage of M&A involving European targets for the first time ever. Credit Suisse, which solely advised Precision Castparts on this week’s deal, lead the weekly M&A advisory league table with $52.6 billion from eight deals, firmly in sixth place in the year-to-date advisory rankings, up from ninth place a year ago.

Global IPOs Raise $116 billion, Down 20% from a Year Ago; Number of New Offerings Up 5%

Global IPO activity reached $116.0 billion this week, a 20% decline compared to a year ago and the slowest year-to-date period in two years. By number of new listings, IPO activity has increased by 5% bolstered by 35% increase in the number of offerings in Asia Pacific and Japan, while the number of offerings in the Americas and EMEA has declined by a combined 25%. IPO activity on the Shanghai stock exchange accounts for 14% of overall dollars raised, compared to 2% a year ago. The New York Stock Exchange accounts for 13% of IPO dollars followed by London with 9%.